Combination pouring and sifting spout for containers



Sept. l5, 1959 H. A. GILBERT COMBINATION POURING AND SIFTING SPOUT FOR CONTAINERS Filed June 1o, 1957 ggggggg INV ENTOR ATTORNEY 2,904,226y COMBINATION rounllso sjrnrlilosiiour non CONTAINERS Harry A. Gilbert; name creer, Mich. Application June yi0, 1957, serial No. `564,111; Claims. (Cl. 222-189) The present invention relates broadly to dispensing cartons, and more specifically to those having a hinged spout in the cover of same. Containers for salt or other granular or powdered material are commonly provided with a spout normally closing an opening in the container top but swingable to a position in which container contents may be poured through the spout and opening. Often it is desirable to dispense such material in limited amounts other than by pouring, but previous attempts to solve this problem have not proven commercially practical. It was a recognition of this dinieulty and the lack of any adequate solution which led to the conception and development of the present invention. t t A I Y Accordingly among the objects of the present invention is the improvement `of such a container byproviding an extremely simple and inexpensive spout whichl not only performs the two aforesaid functions, butis also swingable to a third position in which it allows sifting or lslia'kingl of container contents through perforations of the spout. l .I

`Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved spout in' such form that itmay be expeditiously manufactured atsmall cost and may b'e easily and rapidly attached to the container top.

A further object is to provide a Isimplied spoilt which handles closing, pouring, and shaking offthe'z container contents from same, and yet which is substitiitable for the conventional closing and pouring metal spout of salt containers at almost the same cost and with practically no change in the container. t Y A l Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. j f t To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain means for carrying out the invention, such disclosed means illustrating, however, but several of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the annexed drawing:

Figure 1 is a top view of a salt container embodying the improved spout and showing this spout in its normal closed position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view as taken on line 2 2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a similar View, partly in elevation, showing a side perforated modication of the spout in pouring position.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the spout in sifting or shaking position.

The drawing illustrates the preferred open channel pouring and sifting spout construction, and while for convenience of explaining the invention that construction will be rather specifically described, it is of course possible to make minor variations within the spirit and scope of the invention as herein shown and described.

The container body 5 and its top 6 are conventional,

and for low c ost construction may be formed from paper nbre as usual. The top 6 is provided with an elongated opening 7 having parallel longitudinal edges 8.

The spout 9 is of longitudinally channeled form and is constructed from a single piece of plastic or sheet metal such as aluminum or other non-corrosive metal. The length of the spout 9 is substantially twice the length of the opening 7 and said spout is inserted through said opening. A substantially central transverse rpivot 1G pivotally mounts the spout 9 on the container top 6 and said pivot may be formed from an ordinary wire staple on the outer face of the container top and with its ends passed through said top 6 and clinched at the under face of same.

The end portion 9a of the spout 9 at the exterior of the container, is irnperfor'ate and normally closes the Opening '7 as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The end porition 9b at the interior of the container is formed with perforations 11 and when the spout is swung to the inverted position of Figure 4, container contents may be sifted yor shaken through said perforations. When the spout 9 is swung to any one of a number of intermediate positions, one of which is shownin Figure 3, the contailler contents may be poured `out through said spout.

The open channel U-shaped cross-section spout 9 comprises a strip-like intermediate portion including the end portion 9a and the end portion k9" and two parallel side wings 13 integrally joined to the longitudinal edges of said strip-like portion without cross members to complicate and render more costly the manufacture of same, said wings preferably having arcuate edges 14 `concentric with the pivot 10. The wings 13 preferably flare outward slightly so as to contact frictionally with the edges 8 of theopening 7 and the arcuate edges 14 preferably contact with the end of said opening remote fromthe pivot l1t) to further help in holdingthe spout in adjusted position to meet the requirements for which it has been adjusted. lf desired, the Wings 13 may be provided with'p'erfora; tions 18 to facilitate pouring when the spout is substantially in the position shown in Figure 3.

About centrally between its ends, the strip-likeportion is formed with a transverse outwardly bowed .hear-ing portion 15 through which the pivot ltlextends; and the outer end 16 of said portion 9a is extended beyondthewing edges 14 to provide a tingernail-engaging lug for use in moving the spout 9 from the positions shown in Figures 2 and 4; The inner end 17 of the s'tip is also preferahly extended beyond the'wing-'edges 14 and'may besli'ghtlyy angled to flatly abut the container top 6 when the spout 9 occupies the position shown in Figure 4.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that novel provision has been made for expeditiously attaining the desired ends in simple, low cost, and cicient manner. However, attention is again invited to the possibility of making minor variations in the spout assembly, which is basically an open U-shaped cross-section channel, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as illustrated and described herein, and as will be hereinafter claimed.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of those explained, change bepivot substantially midway between the ends of said spout and mounting said spout on said top, said pivot being disposed at one end of said opening, one end portion of said spout always being at the exterior of said container, said end portion being imperforate and being adapted for closing said opening, the second end portion of said spout, which is at the interior of said container, being perforated to allow sifting of container contents through same when said spout is swung to an inverted position with almost all of same outside of said container, said spout also Ypermitting pouring of container contents through said opening when swung to a position `between its closed and sifting positions.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; said spout having a straight strip-like intermediate portion and two substantially parallel side wings integral with the longitudinal edges of said strip-like intermediate portion, said side wings passing between the longitudinal edges of said elongated opening and having arcuate edges concentric with said pivot, said arcuate edges substantially abutting the end of said opening remote from said pivot.

3. A structure as specified in claim l; said spout having a straight strip-like intermediate portion and two substantially parallel side wings integral with the longitudinal edges of said strip-like intermediate portion, said side wings contacting frictionally with the longitudinal edges of said elongated opening and having arcuate edges concentric with said pivot, said arcuate edges abutting the end of said opening remote from said pivot, the ends of said strip-like intermediate portion being extended beyond said arcuate edges, and the outer one of same constituting a finger-nail-engaging lug.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1; said spout having a straight strip-like intermediate portion and two substantially parallel side wings integral with the longitudinal edges of said strip-like intermediate portion, said side wings contacting frictionally with the longitudinal edges of said elongated opening and having arcuate edges concentric with said pivot, said arcuate edges `abutting the end of said opening remote from said pivot, said strip-like portion having an outwardly bowed transverse portion between its ends which constitutes a bearing through which said pivot extends.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1; said spout having a straight strip-like intermediate portion and two substantially parallel side wings integral with the longitudinal edges of said strip-like intermediate portion, said side wings contacting frictionally with the longitudinal edges of said elongated opening and having arcuate edges concentric with said pivot, said arcuate edges abutting the end of said opening remote from said pivot, said strip-like portion having an outwardly bowed transverse portion between its ends which constitutes a bearing through which said pivot extends, the end of said strip-like portion which is outside of said container being elongated and extending beyond said arcuate edges of said wings in manner constituting a iinger-nail-engaging lug.

6. A longitudinal U-section open channeled container spout having side wings and an intermediate portion joining them, said intermediate portion having transverse pivot means substantially centrally located between its ends, one half of said intermediate portion of said U- section channel portion of said spout at one side of said pivot means being imperforate, and the other half being perforated.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6; said spout having a straight strip-like intermediate portion and two substantially parallel side wings integral with the longitudinal edges of said strip-like intermediate portion, said side wings having arcuate edges concentric with said pivot means.

8. A structure as specified in claim 6; said spout having a straight strip-like intermediate portion and two substantially parallel side wings integral with the longitudinal edges of said strip-like intermediate portion, said side wings having arcuate edges concentric with said pivot means, one end of said strip-like intermediate portion being extended beyond said arcuate edges and constituting a iinger-nail-engaging lug. 9. A structure as specified in claim 6; said spout having a straight strip-like intermediate portion and two substantially parallel side wings integral with the longitudinal edges of said strip-like intermediate portion, said side wings having arcuate edges concentric with said pivot means, said strip-like intermediate portion having an outwardly bowed transverse bearing portion between its ends which constitutes saidipivot means.

v10. A structure as specified in claim 6; said spout having a straight strip-like intermediate portion and two substantially parallel side wings integral with the longitudinal edges of said strip-like intermediate portion, said side wings having arcuate edges concentric with said pivot means, said strip-like intermediate portion having an outwardly bowed transverse bearing portion 4between its ends which constitutes said pivot means, one end of said striplike intermediate portion being extended beyond said arcuate edges and constituting a finger-nail-engaging lug.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

